It has long been recognized that mounting IC power devices on circuit boards often requires means for dissipating heat generated by such devices during use. In the past mounting assemblies for individual power devices have been used to hold the device on the circuit board and to enclose the device to prevent tampering and electrical arcing. The teaching of the Kling patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,342,068 is exemplary. Therein a mounting assembly is taught for an individual power transistor. The power transistor is mounted in thermal contact with a heat dissipating member while a cover encloses, insulates and protects the individual device.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,345,267 to Corman et al another individual mounting is shown for an integrated circuit device. The device is housed in a connector which mounts it to a printed circuit board or the like. A heat sink or heat exchanger is attached to the housing and is thermally isolated in air except for its connection through the housing to the individual IC device. An individual semi-conductor device carrier, for mounting the device to a socket, is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,720,742 to Egawa et al. The Egawa et al patent, however, provides no teaching directed to heat dissipation and is illustrative merely of the practice in the art of individually mounting semi-conductor devices.
Power device assemblies are needed which provide heat dissipation and mounting means for multiple power devices. It is an object of the present invention to provide such assemblies. It is an object of the method aspect of the invention to provide a novel method of making such power device assemblies.